Charging storage batteries



Dec. 27; 1938. E. w. SWTH 2,141,624

CHARGING STORAGE BATTER IRS Filed June 19, 1936 Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES CHARGING STORAGE BATTERIES Edward W. Smith, Philadelphia, Pa, assignor to The Electric Storage Battery Company, Philadeiphia, Pa. a corporation of New Jersey Application June 19,

8 Claima The object of this invention is to provide for giving the battery a predetermined amount of charge after it has been charged to a point where its voltage has risen to a predetermined value. This invention is applied particularly to systems in which a battery is charged by means of a generator driven by a gasoline engine. The predetermined amount of charge after the battery voltage reaches the predetermined value is deter--' mined by providing a definite quantity of gasoline or similar fuel which is utilized for driving the engine after they predetermined voltage has been reached.

The single figure of the drawing'is a diagrammatic or schematic view showing the parts in charging positions.

In the drawing, i indicates a gasoline-driven engine driving a generator whose commutator is shown at 2, on which bear brushes 2, 4. The shunt field of the generator is shown at and the series field at 6. The storage battery to be charged from the generator is shown at 1, connected at one end by means of conductor 8 to.

brush 3. The other end of the battery is con nected via conductor 9, contacts l0 and ll of solenoid-operated switch l2, series coil i3, conductors i4 and i5, contacts I and I1, switch 43, and conductor l8 to the opposite brush 4 of the generator.

the rod of the core of the solenoid l3 and is held up by the solenoid l3 when energized. and when the solenoid I3 is de-energized the blade or bridge i2 falls down and rests on the lever 42 with which it is not connected.

The fuel supply tank for the engine is shown at l9 which communicates via the passage 20 with the auxiliary fuel chamber 2| from the lower end of which the fuel supply pipe 22 leads to the carbureter 23, and thence via the throttle valve 24 to the cylinder of the engine I.

Communication between the main fuel tank I! and the auxiliary chamber 2| is controlled by a valve 25 stressed to the closed position by the helical spring 26 and lifted to the open position by the rod 21 attached to the lever 28 fulcrumed at 29. At the opposite end from the fulcrum 29, the lever 28 is adapted to be lifted by means of the plunger 30 of the solenoid 3|, and tobe 50 held in the lifted position by the latch 32. The latch 32 is provided with an arm 44 and is pivotcd at 33 and is stressed to the latching position by the spring 34 attached to the arm 35. The arm 35 and the latch 32 are pivoted at 33 5 independently of each other, thus allowing a cer- The switch blade or bridge i2 is mounted on- 1936, Serial No. 86,051

tain amount of lost motion between the two so that, when the arm 35 is lifted by the magnet 36, it travels a short distance, reducing the air gap and increasing the magnetic pull before it. starts to move the arm 44 and release the latch. The arm 35 is adapted to be lifted to release the lever 28 by the magnet 38 whose coil 31 is connected across the terminals of the generator by the conductor 38 on one side and conductors 38, 50, i5, contacts l6 and I1, and conductor ill on the other side and across the terminals of the battery by the conductor 28 on one side and conductors 39, 50, I4, coil l3, contacts II and I0, and conductor 8 on the other side.

Coil 3i and series coil 6 are connected in series between the generator and the battery via conductors 40 and 4i and conductor l4, coil i3, contacts ii and I0 when the latter contacts are closed.

A manually operatedstarting lever is shown at 42 to which isattached the connecting blade 43 which bridges the contacts 16 and I1 and which also supports from below the connecting blade l2 which connects contacts Ill and I I when the lever 42 is raised and thereby the coil i3 is energized as in normal operation.

The operating lever of throttle 24 is connected by a rod 45 with the lever 28 so that when the lever is in its upper position the throttle is open but when the lever is released and drops to its lower position against stop 46, the throttle will be partly closed and the output of the engine and generator reduced. I

In the auxiliary chamber 2! is shown a plunger 41 loosely fitting the chamber 2| and adjustable in height by means of the rod 48 held in position by the thumb-screw 49. The amount of fuel in the chamber 2i may be adjusted by adjusting the height oi the plunger 41 to give any predetermined amount of charge to the battery after the valve 25 is closed.

The operation of the apparatus may be described as follows:

In order to start the engine, the starting lever 42 is lifted, opening the contacts 5 and l! and closing the contacts Ill and i l, whereby a circuit is established from the battery 1 via conductor 9, contacts l0 and H, coil l3, conductors i4, 50, 4|, coil 3|, conductor 40, series coil 6, to the brush 4, thence through the armature 2 of the generator, brush 3, and conductor 8 to the opposite end of the battery. This current will start the engine and, by reason of the current in coil ii, the contacts l0 and l I will be held closed after the lever 42 is released and has dropped. During the starting operation, the lever 42 is held in the upper position until the engine is operating under its own power and developing enough output to send charging current into the battery through coil l3, which will then continue to hold the contact member l2 in the upper position dur ing normal operation of the plant. By reason of the current in coil 3|, the lever 28 will be raised and latched in the upper position by the latch 32, thus opening the valve 25 and the throttle 24. When the lever 42 is released, the contacts l0 and H are closed and the contacts l5 and I1 will be bridged which will short-circuit coil 3| and series coil 8 via conductor l5, contacts i6 and i1, and conductor 18, thus establishing the normal running conditions with the generator operating as a shunt-wound machine.

When the voltage of the generator and battery reaches a predetermined value, preferably corresponding to a point on the charge voltage curve where the voltage starts to rise rapidly, the excitation of coil 31 will be suillcient to cause the magnet 36 to attract its armature, lifting the bar 35 and retracting the latch II. There being no current in coil ii, the lever 2! will thus be released, closing the valve 18 and partially closing the throttle 24, reducing the charging rate to that provided by the small opening at the throttle. The engine will continue to run until the fuel in the auxiliary chamber 2| is exhausted when it will stop, and the charging current being reduced to zero, there will be no excitation in coil I 3 and the contacts In and II will be opened, thus disconnecting the battery from the generator.

Whenever it is desired again to charge the battery after a period of discharge, the starting lever 42 will again be lifted and the above cycle of operations will be repeated.

I do not intend to be limited save as the scope of the prior art and of the attached claims may require.

I claim:

1. A storage battery charging system comprising, a storage battery, an electric generator, a circuit connecting said battery and said generator so that said battery is charged by said generator, an engine connected to said generator to drive it, a normal supply of fuel for said engine, a limited supply of fuel for said engine, and means'responsive to the condition of said battery and arranged to disconnect said engine from said normal supply while still connected to said limited supply so that said engine continues to drive said generator and thus to charge said battery only until said limited supply is exhausted.

2. A storage battery charging system comprising, a storage battery, an electric generator, a circuit connecting said battery and said generator so that said battery is charged by said generator, an engine connected to said generator to drive it, a normal supply of fuel for said engine, a limited supply of fuel for said engine, and means responsive to the condition of said battery and arranged to disconnect said engine from said normal supply while still connected to said limited supply and to reduce the rate at which fuel is fed to said engine so that said engine operates at a reduced speed and consequently charges said battery at a reduced rate only .until said limited supply is exhausted.

3. A storage battery charging system comprising, a storage battery, an electric dynamo adapted to operate as a motor or as a generator, a circuit connecting said battery and said dynamo, an engine mechanically connected for rotation with said dynamo, a normal supply of fuel for said engine, a limited supply of fuel for said engine. a valve controlling the connection between said normal supply and said engine, a switch controlling said circuit, means for closing said switch upon starting so that said battery drives said dynamo as a motor and starts said engine, a first coil in said circuit adapted when energized to hold said switch closed and when de-energized to release said switch, a second coil arranged when energized to open said valve and when de-energized to release said valve, means interlocked with said switch so as to be inoperative when said switch is operated by said closing means and to cause said dynamo to operate as a motor until after said engine has started and to de-energize said second coil, and second means responsive to the voltage of said battery and arranged to hold said valve open until said battery is charged to a pre-determined voltage and then to close said valve thereby disconnecting said engine from said normal supply and thus to cause said engine to stop when said limited supply is exhausted whereby said flrst coil is de-energized and said switch is opened.

4. A storage battery charging system comprising, a storage battery, an electric dynamo adapted to operate as a motor or as a generator, a circuit connecting said battery and said dynamo, an engine mechanically connected for rotation with said dynamo, a normal supply of fuel for said engine, a limited supply of fuel for said engine, a valve controlling the connection between said normal supply and said engine, a switch controlling said circuit, means for closing said switch upon starting so that said battery drives said dynamo as a motor and starts said engine, a first coil in said circuit adapted when energized to hold said switch closed and when de-energized to release said switch, a second coil arranged when energized to open said valve and when de-energized to release said valve, means interlocked with said switch so as to be inoperative when said switch is operated by said closing means and to cause said dynamo to operate as a motor until after said engine has started and to de-energize said second coil. second means responsive to the voltage of said battery and arranged to hold said valve open until said battery is charged to a predetermined voltage and then to close said valve thereby disconnecting said engine from said normal supply and thus to cause said engine to stop when said limited supply is exhausted whereby said first coil is de-energized and said switch is opened, and a throttle controlling the supply of fuel to said engine and arranged to have a relatively large opening when said valve is open and to have a relatively small opening when said valve is closed.

5. A storage battery charging system comprisa storage battery, an electric dynamo adapted to operate as a motor or as a generator, a circuit connecting said battery and said dynamo, an engine mechanically connected for rotation with said dynamo, a normal supply of fuel for said engine, a limited supply of fuel for said engine, a valve controlling the connection between said normal supply and said engine, a first switch controlling said circuit, means for closing said first switch upon starting so that said battery drives said dynamo as a motor and starts said engine, a first coil in said circuit adapted when energized to hold said first switch closed and when de-energized to release said first switch, a second coil arranged when enerl5 gized to open said valve and when tie-energized to release said valve, a second switch connected in parallel with said second coil and operative when closed to short-circuit and thus de energize said second coil and 'to cause said dynamo to operate as a generator, second means responsive to the voltage of said battery and arranged to hold said valve open until said battery is charged to a predetermined voltage and then to close said valve thereby disconnecting said engine from said normal supply and thus to cause said engine to stop when said limited supply is exhausted whereby said first coil is tie-energized and said first switch is opened.

6. A storage battery charging system comprising, a storage battery, an electric dynamo having a series winding adapted to operate as a motor and having a'shunt winding adapted to operate as a generator, a circuit connecting said battery and said dynamo, an engine mechanically connected for rotation with said dynamo, a normal supply of fuel for said engine, a. limited supply of fuel for said engine, a valve controlling theconnection between said normal supply and said engine, a first switch connected in series between said dynamo and said battery, 9. first coil connected in series with said switch between said dynamo and said battery and adapted when energized to hold said switch closed and when de-energized to release said switch, manually operable means for controlling said first switch upon starting so that said battery drives said dynamo as a motor through said series winding and operates said engine, a second coil connected in series with said series winding between said battery and said dynamo and arranged when energized to open said valve and when de-energized to release said valve, a second switch connected to said manually operable means so as to be open when said manually operable means holds said first switch closed and connected in parallel with said second coil so that when said second switch is closed said second coil is de-energized, a voltage coil connected across said battery, and means operated by said voltage coil for holding said valve open until a predetermined voltage of said battery- '7. A storage battery charging system, comprising, a storage battery, an electric dynamo adapted to operate as a motor or as a generator, a circuit connecting said battery and said dynamo, an engine mechanically connected for rotation with. said dynamo, a normal supply of fuel for said engine, a limited supply of fuel for said engine, a valve controlling the connection between said normal supply and said engine, an armature mechanically connected to said valve to move said valve, a second coil connected in series between said dynamo and said battery and arranged when energized to open said valve and when de-energized to release said valve, 8. first switch connected in series between said battery and said dynamo, a first coil connected in series a with said first switch between said battery and said dynamo and arranged when energized to holdsaid first switch open and when de energized to release said first switch, manually operable means for closing said first switch upon starting to connect said dynamo and said battery so that said dynamo operates as a.motor, a second switch arranged so as tobe opened when said manually operable means holds said first switch closed and connected in parallel with said second coil so that when said second switch is closed said second coil is de-energized, a latch for holding said armature in position to hold said valve open, and a voltage coil connected across said battery and arranged at a predetermined voltage of said battery to operate said latch to cause said valve to close to shut oil? connection between said normal supply and said engine so that said engine continues to operate until said limited supply is exhausted whereby said first coil is tie-energized and said first switch is opened.

8. Means for giving a storage battery, charged 'by a gasoline engine driving a dynamo machine and its circuit connections, a predetermined additional amount of charge after the battery voltage has risen to a predetermined point which comprise a main fuel supply and a limited auxiliary fuel supply for the engine, a current coil and provisions controlled thereby for maintaining and interrupting the main fuel supply, and a voltage coil and connections responsive to it for interrupting the main fuel supply and maintaining the auxiliary fuel supply after the main fuel supply has been interrupted.

EDWARD W. SMITH. 

